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08/04/2011

They have arrived! We recieved the call from our post office early this morning and our chickie dreams rolled into a reality - they are actually here! We're doing just what we set out to do! After all, this whole chicken thing is the reason we started looking for more room in the first place. You could say they are a big catalyst for our new life changes.

Monday morning, William and I set out to the barn and in just a few hours knocked out a simple chicken brooder. By the way, when there's THIS much to accomplish, we find ourselves chanting silly phrases like "knock it out", "get r done" and "bust it out". We used a quick sketch for reference and only eliminated one part of the design, which was the legs - we needed it to be the perfect peeking height for Dane and curious pups.

All 25 Araucauna chicks (green/blue egg layers) and one mystery free chick are healthy and happy in their brooder that is sitting poolside (what a life!). We are all finding excuses to go outside and hold them despite the deleriously warm weather. Just one question...is it wierd bring baby chicks into your bed?

05/16/2011

On every table and on each chair, your bound to find a farm related book around here. Every one of us is preparing in our own way for this adventure. Papa is busy with building designs and composting ideas. Dane is naming every barnyard animal (paired with the sound they make).I'm making list after list of what we'll need for the house, the bees, the garden and so on.

As much as we'd love to get the keys and step right into our eutopia of fresh milk and blue eggs, I know it's the journey of building all over again that really excites me. We won't have eggs right away, we'll have baby chicks - and we'll raise them and watch them grow from the very begining. We will experience the process of farm life in its entirety, without skipping chapters. It will be the slowest year of our life no doubt, as all of our goals will come together only one mended fencepost... one handfull of hay... one piglet nuzzle at a time. Perhaps that's just what we were after: the slowing down of things. The opportunity to dig in deeper and eventually pull out a nourishing and satisfying product.

05/12/2011

I never thought four months could drag on so long! We recieved the phone call at 11:30pm from our realtor and friend, Kelly. Yhe bank has finally accepted our offer on our dream home! After all our waiting and planning, our dreaming and hoping, we are so close to the next phase of our life, and it feels amazing! Our future plans can actually start to go from paper and notes, saved favorite sites and blog thoughts, to actual life.The farm holds a large part of our dreams and our future, not just in family, but in business, life, lifestyle, child rearing and all other aspects of our life. An adventure begins soon, and I'm ready! I am still taking it all in, and until we see the house again, and then hold the keys in our hands, I won't believe it is real.

I can not wait to allow our dogs to run free and chase each other across the field. To let Dane explore, play and point in wonder. To watch Megan let her creative mind run free. I cannot wait to let my own mind run free and plan for the future. Possibly the most amazing part of all of this is that William and Rose (my brother and sister-in-law) are moving here, and will reside with us fora while. Having them here will be wonderful in so many ways, sharing our experiences, sharing theirs as well. I hope they feel the power of possibility here in Florida. I hope they see the beauty in all things around...people, dogs, animals, life...all of it.

I was raised on a farm in Missouri, with cattle, chickens, pigs, horses...a small scale family farm. This farm, although I was more than ready to leave it when young, holds such a place in my heart. It is hard to explain to someone not experienced in the joy of the open land, the farm smell, the feeling of peeing outside in your front yard..yeah, I said it. I said it because that was the thing i noticed about city life first...that not a joke. The chores, the work, the attending of life and livestock...that creates such a feeling of responsibility, it teaches life lessons nothing else can. It taught me to work, to enjoy it, and to respect those who work. The life of caring livestock, similar to that of caring for dogs, teaches adults and children alike lessons that are hard to put into words. I am beyond excited to offer this as a future for our family. I am so happy to give Megan the chance to try everything she has studied and read about, all the things she has tried small scale in the city, she can now put to work in a larger scale. I am excited to give our dogs the life all dogs want...a one in which to run, chase, protect and finally sleep.

These things are my dreams, my past and current aspirations. I couldnt be happier, more fulfilled and I could not ask for better friends and family to share our adventure with.

04/21/2011

With Spring upon us, we've been talking a lot about our garden to come. And as silly as it may be, to me, having a garden isnt just about the delicious rewards that come from it, but it's also a source pleasure to my eyes. It's important to me that our garden looks beautiful. Afterall, it becomes an outdoor home for us for most of the year. You could also say that the child in me is still hoping to create my very own Secret Garden. After visiting the heirloom gardens last year at Old Salem, I found just how beautiful an edible garden can be, and we've been referring to it time and time again while we plan our new family garden. It was there that we saw a totally unique diagonal planting pattern from the late 1700's that is believed to have been chosen for drainage, sun exposure and aesthetics.They used a variety of mixed techniques - raised beds, mounds, square inch gardening and even early vertical gardening. Orchards were planted along the fence line in the entrances of the homes and gardens. Medicinal herbs and cooking spices were planted in rock retained beds near the homes.Oh, we mustn't forget the sunflowers! They have sky high cheery sunflowers dancing row after row, which is much needed for any good old fashion game of hide and go seek!

In the past we've always had boxed raised beds for our vegetable gardens, but now that we will have so much more land to work with and more mouths to feed, we will be combining many gardening styles on our farm just as they did in the early days in Old Salem. Edible landscaping is an idea that THE BACKYARD HOMESTEAD covers. I love the idea of having rosemary bushes and pineapple sage as close as the patio steps. They take the idea even further and suggest even an edible arbor or berry bushes as a hedge. Vertical gardening is also becoming really popular for those who are limited on space, but it's also very functional for keeping your vined veggies off the ground and away from many ground dwelling pests. Vertical gardens can be incorporated into any raised bed garden, by using a trellis, arbor, stakes/poles or wire fencing.I'm really drawn to the living wall gardens on buidlings - don't they make the greatest backdrops for photos? This vertical garden idea really caught my eye - it would be perfect for strawberries, among many other things.

04/12/2011

The Backyard Homestead : Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre By Carleen Madigan

With the soaring cost of food and the increased awareness of organic foods, backyard homesteading is becoming quite a popular subject - if you have any interest in homesteading this book is the perfect place to start. My dad read GROW IT in the early 70's, which I consider an early version of THE BACKYARD HOMESTEAD. There was a real need for a modern compilation of small scale farming info into one beautiful book. In this book you will find chapters on everything from making homemade wine and sausage to vertical garden concepts. You will learn to grow, harvest, produce, and store your garden bounty. The premise of this book is how to make the most of a small plot of land, but it would be just as useful to those with a larger scale farm in mind. I found limited information on crop pest control and remedies as well as animal housing and husbandry - although there is plenty information that can be found in the back of the book with recommended reading and links. There are many valuable charts in this book such as : companion planting, USDA zoning maps, seasonal rotation and grid planting. I really enjoyed the illustrations that are incredible helpful, as most books on this topic are lacking in the visual department. I have had this book for almost a year, and it really has become my "go to" book and inspires me everytime I open it.